Everyone loves flowers, but not everyone realizes how easy it is to have them every day of the year. One of the keys to success with flowering house plants is to pick those that will adapt to the low light levels in most homes. All of the plants listed below need relatively low light levels and will benefit from being grown on trays of moist pebble to increase humidity. All except phalaenopsis should be grown in a light soil or soilless mix and allowed to dry slightly between waterings.
1) African violet. Some people think of this as a stodgy “grandma” plant, but there’s a reason why African violets have been popular since grandma’s day. They bloom almost constantly and come in an astonishing variety of colors and flower styles, with both plain and variegated leaves. They usually do best with just a couple hours of direct sunlight a day; an east window is ideal. Water as soon as the top of the soil is dry, and turn the plant to keep it growing evenly. Plants should be repotted when the leaf span is three times the size of the pot. African violets grown beautifully when kept about 12″ away from a 2-tube fluorescent fixture, and are excellent candidates for automatic watering systems.
2) Phalaenopsis orchids. Unlike many orchids, phalaenopsis don’t need intense light or cool temperatures to thrive. They grow well in an east window, or even a bright north window. Grow them in chopped orchid bark, and repot no more than once every two years when they are very tight in their pots. A healthy plant will often remain in bloom for 6 months or more, and a second flush of blooms can often be produced by cutting the faded flowers off right above one of the nodes on the flower stalk.
3) Streptocarpus (African violet relative) If your house is a bit on the cool side, streptocarpus will thrive where African violets might fail. They prefer day temperatures of 70 degrees and nights around 60. Like African violets, they bloom almost all the time, with lovely nodding flowers that are much bigger than African violet flowers.
4) Angel-wing begonias. There are many, many begonias on the market, but angel wings are among the best for both frequency of bloom and ease of culture. Some are nearly everblooming, and have lovely spotted leaves as well as big arching sprays of white, pink, rose, or orange flowers. They require little more than regular watering and feeding, and a good east window to bloom profusely.
5) Columneas This African violet relative comes in both upright and trailing forms and produces spectacular flared flowers. Yellow, orange, and red are the most common flower colors. Grow it like an African violet, under lights or at the windowsill. ‘Early Bird,’ ‘Chanticleer,’ and ‘Mary Anne’ are especially prolific bloomers.
6) MIniature Sinnigias This is yet another plant from the wonder African violet family (technically known as the gesneriad family.) These plant grow from small tubers, and produce a great quantity of lovely tube-shaped flowers. Unlike the other plants listed here, these need to stay completely moist, all the time, or they may go dormant. They like a south window, but can also be grown a few inches from a 2-tube fluorescent fixture. If the plant goes dormant, allow it to dry just slightly between waterings until it sprouts again. The small size of these gems means you can have a collection of dozens of different lovely varieties in just a few inches of space.
Plant lust is an incurable disease. Once you get started, you’ll want to branch out and try more plants in the begonia, orchid, and gesneriad families. With a little luck and some practice, you can have gorgeous flowering plants in your home every day of the year.
